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J. A. CLARK. LOOM REED.

Patented-June 23, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFicE.

JOHN A. CLARK, OF XVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CROMPTON LOOM YVORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

LOOM-REED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,757, dated June 23, 1896. Application filed June 1, 1895. SerialNo. 551,344. (No modeLl T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. CLARK, of \Vorcester, county of WVoreester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in. Loom-Reeds, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representin g like parts.

This invention in looms has especial reference to the reed, and while the invention may be used to advantage in connection with any loom, it is particularly useful in looms for weaving tufted fabrics, in connection with which I shall herein particularly illustrate and describe the same, it being understood, however, that said invention is not limited in its application to tufted looms alone, for it may be applied to and used in connection with any loom.

Each space in the reed of a loom usually contains two or more warp-threads, and if these spaces, heretofore made uniform in width from top to bottom, be made of sufficient width, as they must be, to permit their threads to be freely passed by each other or crossed in shedding, any single thread, at either end of its reed-space, must have considerable side play or vibration. In practice I have found that this side play and vibration of the warp-threads in a loom are present to such an extent as to, in some kinds of fabric, injure the uniformity of the product. Particularly is this side play or vibration of the warp-threads objectionable in looms for Weaving tufted fabrics, wherein tuft-yarns must be regularly inserted between the warpthreads across the entire width of the fabric, for if any warp-thread is out of its proper alined position it is liable to be struck and unduly stretched or broken by one of the descending tuft-yarn tubes, or it is apt to cause improper insertion of one or more of the tuftyarns. To obviate this side play or vibration of the individual warp-threads, I have, in accordance with this invention, produced a reed, wherein the spaces, of a normal width sufficient to permit free crossing of the warpthreads in shedding, as heretofore, are at one or both their ends contracted to a width just sufficient for a single thread, so that as the threads are opened in shedding, those threads which are moved to the contracted ends of their reedspaces are thereby centered or regularly spaced and held against objectionable side movement or vibration.

My invention further comprehends a novel reed construction adapted for any reed, whether or not the ends of its spaces be contracted as described.

In the drawings illustrating one embodimentof my invention, Figure 1 is a detail showing a sufficient portion of a usual loom for weaving tufted fabrics to enable my invention to be understood; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged isometric detail, partially broken away, showing the particular reed construction.

In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and shown in the drawings, the arms 18, the tuftyarn beams or spools d their carriages 0, the tuft-yarn quills or tubes 0, and means for operating the same to insert tuft-yarns between the warp-threads are and may be of usual construction and operation, common to looms for weaving tufted fabrics, such a loom being shown and described in United States Patent No. 490,237, dated January 17, 1893, to which reference may be had.

The lay (P, as herein shown, has mounted upon it a bar 7', shown as provided at its front side with a series of closely-arranged vertical slots r intersecting which is a longitudinal, preferably V-shaped groove 4 to be referred to.

The reed r is made up of a series of independently-removable, preferably (l-shaped, members r shown as formed from flat metal strips, and arranged with their legs in the slots 4*, each slot preferably receiving adjacent legs of two of the fl-shaped members, as shown. The legs of these n-shaped members 1", as herein shown, are notched at their front edges to correspond and register with the V-shaped groove 7- The reed members r are herein shown locked or clamped in position by a clamping-plate 0 applied to the face of the bar r, and having a /\-shaped longitudinal rib T, which enters the groove 0' and corresponding notches in the legs of the (i-shaped members 0' and is held by screws r By removing the clamping-plate 0 any single reed member may be removed for any necessary purpose, as for substitution of a member.

Referring to Fig. 2, each pair of vertical legs in any single vertical slot r constitutes a reed-dent, and each space 1' formed by and within a n shaped reed member, a reed-space. The reed-spaces r are of a normal width sufficient to permit two or more warp-threads, passed therethrough, to be freely crossed in shedding. At one of their ends, herein the upper ends, I have shown said reed-spaces as contracted at 2' in suitable manner, as by crimping or bending metal from which the members 7- are made, to a width preferably such as will receive but a single thread each, so that when the threads are opened in shedding, those threads moved into the upper plane of the shed will be moved into their contracted ends of the reed-spaces, and will be thereby properly centered or spaced, one from another, and restrain from lateral vibration or play. The uniform distribution or laying of the warp-threads in the fabric is thus assured, and when used in connection with tuft-yarn-inserting devices, as herein shown, there is practically no chance of a tuft-yarn to be incorrectly inserted nor for a tube to strike and stretch or break a warpthread.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, for the same obviously may be varied within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim-- 1. A loom-reed containing uniform warp receiving spaces of a normal width suflicient to permit free crossing of two or more warpthreads in shedding, and contracted at one of their ends to form warp receiving and centering spaces to prevent lateral movement of and to uniformly center or space'the threads moved thereinto, substantially as described.

2. The described reed composed of a series of like independent fl-shaped members, and a support to which they are secured, said n-shaped members at or adjacent their rounded or crown ends being bent inwardly to contract the adjacentends of the reedspaces, to thereby form warp receiving and centering spaces to uniformly center or space the threads'moved thereinto, substantially as described.

3. In a loom, the combination with tuftinserting devices, of a reed, containing warpreceiving spaces uniformly of a normal width sufficientto permit free crossing of two or more warp-threads, and contracted at or near their ends adjacent said warp-inserting dcvioes to thereby form warp receiving and centering spaces to uniformly center or space the warp-threads IHOXQCI thereinto, substantially as described.

at. The combination with a support provided with a series of slots and an intersecting groove, of a plurality of reed members arranged in said slots, and notched to register with said groove, a clamping-plate having a projection to enter said groove and notches and means to hold said clamping-plate in position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. CLARK. Vitnesses J USTIN A. WARE, SAMUEL B. ScHorIELD. 

